Falling Down
by pendragon94
Summary: AU, multi-chapter oneshot(for now). Sookie grows up a little differently and her first encounter with Eric goes like never before! This is a oneshot for now that just kinda clicked with me as an interesting idea. Let me know if you think I should continue.
1. Chapter 1

I leave the back entrance as Sam goes to his office to finish the bookkeeping for the nigh, and I can still feel the eyes on me and the void of the mystery vampire in the woods. At nine, shortly after the dinner rush calmed down, I had felt him approaching. He'd come right up to the front door of Merlotte's before suddenly veering off into the woods and staying there. When I get into the car, I feel the void follow, and it keeps up as I make my way onto the back country roads. Instead of turning to go onto Hummingbird Lane, I keep going, heading for the straight stretch that coincides with the lake. As I get there, I find myself in the most open area possible, and pull my car over to the side. Getting out, I lock the car and make sure that everything I need is in my pockets. Gathering my energy, I visualize where I want to go, and I know it will be the farthest distance that I've ever travelled at once. I feel the void come rushing toward me as white light shines from my chest. He tries to wrap his arms around me as he comes up from behind, and his arms pass through me just as I pop away.

Stumbling a little from the change in scenery, I get my footing and take a deep breathe.

I made it.

It takes a moment for the pain to register in my mind, and when I look down I see that the blood is already coming through my shirt.

_Damn it._ I chastise myself mentally as I lean against the wall of the brick building next to me. There's a slight ledge at my waist level, and I put my weight onto it as I feel with my hands to discover that he's removed a significant chunk of flesh from my abdomen. Nothing vital is missing, but I'm bleeding out, and I know that my time is limited to get help.

Casting out a net with my mind, I start searching for anyone like myself. I'm in a suburb on the edge of Shreveport, and I know the chances are slim, but I still have to try. I don't find anyone that can help me. I sit down onto the ground as the blood seeps into my jeans, and I do my best to draw up a beacon of light. Perhaps someone in the other realm will notice a beacon if I can create one, but I can't, and I reabsorb the small amount of light I had managed to muster. Closing my eyes, I start to simply block out the pain as I wait for the end.

274 beings are in my immediate vicinity of the neighborhood and a small wooded area.

216 are humans, scattered amongst the homes of the neighborhood.

43 are weres.

14 are vampires.

1 is different from the others, and suddenly I have hope. In my mind's eye, it is just on the edge of my vision and not quite in the center of the city. It is a beacon of light amongst the other minds, and I can't believe that I hadn't noticed it a second before. I reach for it, pushing my telepathy further than I normally do. It's almost as though the light is calling for me to find it, and I see a familiarity to the light that is there. Delving into it, I know that the owner is male. I still cannot tell if he is a human or something else, but he seems to notice my presence as the feel of his mind is suddenly tense.

Understand suddenly dawns on me, and my heart skips a beat in anticipation.

This is my mate. His light is so familiar, because it is a mirror version of my own.

I call to him mentally, and he seems to accept my presence in his head, even though I still cannot discern his thoughts. Determined not to die before I even have a chance to meet him, I call upon energy reserves that I was unaware I even have, and blindly pop to just a few inches from his location. I feel myself falling through the air, and a strong set of arms catches me before I can hit anything. I hear a distinct click. My eyes are still closed, and with the energy loss, I don't feel as though I can open them again. As I fall into his hold, I naturally curl into him, and my hand goes against his chest. Without a second thought toward the act, I push my binding light into his chest, and I can feel a deep current of emotions enter me. They are not my own, and I can tell that his body has instantly accepted my fae bond. All of the worries in the back of my mind disappear as I feel him there, a small presence that I instantly try to close off from being able to feel my pain, but he resists. He rips the bond open unexpectedly, causing me to cry out in mental anguish and I can immediately feel regret burning through him.

As my body begins to shut off, I turn off all sense of feeling and recede into my own mind. Given my reaction, he had released his hold on the bond for a second, but is back at it again and is gentler this time. He probes at my emotions and feelings, trying to decipher what is happening and who I am, and I pull myself together enough to send him a coherent thought.

_I am dying._

Defiance of my statement rings through the bond from his end, and I can feel his fingers on my chin, opening my mouth. A thick, richly sweet liquid pours down my throat, and I choke for a moment as he massages my throat. When I finally manage a swallow, I can feel the pain in my abdomen tingling away, and I can feel that I am no longer in his arms. He pushes a sense of safety toward me, and I drift off into a dreamless healing sleep.

Soft cushioned leather greets me from the surface beneath my hands, which now lie limply at my sides. I can feel my newly bonded mate close by, and as I rouse he seems to come closer. Mentally I feel out my own body, and find that I am almost completely healed. Only a slight twinge remains in my stomach, and my energy has been fully restored. When I open my eyes, he is looking down at me, and I find myself becoming lost in the sea of blue that is his eyes. He leans closer, and his mouth opens slightly, allowing me to catch a glimpse of fang.

Fear and shock stun me in place, and he runs a hand through my hair as a comforting gesture. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were a vampire." I croak out quietly, and my voice sounds horrible in my own ears.

An amused smile plays on his lips, "Yes, well, had a proper introduction been made, events would have likely gone much differently. It seems that in your desperation to live, you have somehow bonded yourself to me." The way he says it is as though he has accidentally caught the rarest of prey and is gloating.

Irritation fills our bond, coming from me of course, and I move to get up from the couch I am lying on. "I did not choose you out of my desire to live, although that is of course appreciated. I chose you because your mind was like a beacon to me. It is sort of a mirror image of mine, the same but completely different. With enough time we will perfectly balance each other out. My light recognized you, and when I shot you it was accepted by your body, and just because I just so happened to be hurt means nothing. I would have seen you for what you are to me no matter how we meet, whether through my finding you in my time of need or by bumping into you at the gas station."

"So what am I to you?" He asks, and there's an unnatural mirth to his eyes. It's almost as though no matter what I say it doesn't faze him, and his end of the bond radiates nothing but happiness and contentment. As a matter of fact, he's almost giddy.

I feel my eyes widen against my will as I realize exactly what is happening. I remember when I was little, and Niall had first explained bonding. He had told me that when a fae shot their mate with the binding light, the mate would feel nothing but happiness and peacefulness for a short while. Often times a fae would bond in secret, and would not reveal it until their mate had returned to normal because the forced emotional calm made them vulnerable to attack.

Worry invades my thoughts as instinct tells me to take him somewhere safe so that we can both settle in until he is returned to his normal state of mind. "You are my mate, and what you are feeling right now is not real. We just recently bonded, so you are being overcome with peace and calm by my light. Where are we, is this place safe?" I glance around and find that we are standing in some sort of office that doubles as partly a storage room.

"Of course it's safe, my child is here, and this is my bar." The glowing neon sign on the wall says

"Your child?" I ask, finding that the word is sticking out to me.

"Yes, Pamela, I made her in 1905. She is very loyal, and will have nothing but the utmost respect for you. You have nothing to worry from her." He says it with a certain finality that I find odd. _Huh, he's really calm, but he's also still very protective._ In my head I start to analyze him, and remember the traits that I learned from Niall that vampires often have.

Easily angered, manipulative, deceptive, grumpy, selfish, protective of their maker and mate, savage and aggressive.

_I wonder which of these traits…_

I'm thrown into disbelief as I remember that I don't even know his name. "I'm Sookie-"

"Stackhouse, yes, I checked your wallet once I got you safely into my office." The words are completely matter of fact, and I suppose I don't mind much, since we're technically fae-style married now. "I am Eric Northman." He says his name with a slight glint in his eye, as though I should recognize him.

_Fantastic, I wonder if he's going to be a cocky once the happy wears off._

"Eric, hmm, I like your name." I know a small smile is playing on my lips, one that I can't help since his calm and happy is starting to affect me, and he gives his own broad smile in response. His fangs are still down, and the sight only unsettles me for a moment, before I reach out without hesitation and run my finger down one of them.

A strange purr rumbles in his chest, and his eyes roll back for a second as he moans slightly.

I immediately pull my hand away and take a step back, looking down and blushing profusely. When I feel his arms suddenly coming around my stomach from behind me, I jump, before relaxing into his embrace. He towers above me, and wraps himself around me as he leans his head down to whisper in my ear. "You smell like honey and wheat, and you remind me of my home as a human. I have never felt this way." He leaves his face in the crook of my neck, buried in my hair, simply taking in my scent.

I close my eyes for a moment, sighing in contentment, and only open them when the door to the office opens in front of me. Instantly I am behind Eric, with one of his arms still wrapped around me from the side. The vampire who opened the door has long straight black hair, and appears to be a Native American. An aggressive rumble goes through Eric's chest, "Longshadow, get out."

_Protective…..check._

"Pam has everything under control out here now." He says, and closes the door behind him but not before stealing a quick look at me as I peek around Eric's shoulder. Eric immediately turns back to me, seeming to have forgotten the intrusion completely, and I remember one of the side effects of the calm.

_He's not even remotely on alert of our surrounds, or he would have heard Longshadow coming. _

I work overtime, hurrying to think of a way to convince him to take me somewhere away from other vampires and any possible danger. It clicks suddenly, and I have no idea why I didn't think of it earlier.

"Eric, I would like to meet Pam now."

He smiles, "Of course, I just called her. She should be here any moment.

Taking me back into his arms, he turns me so that we are in the same position as before, and he's just an inch or so too tall to be able to comfortably rest his chin on my head. The door is suddenly open, and a woman in a stunning black dress is standing there. She's wearing ruby earrings and red lipstick, with red four inch heels, and it's almost like I'm looking at an outfit from a vampire fashion magazine. Her hair is done up in a fancy twist, and she looks completely pissed off.

"Pamela, meet Sookie. She is my bonded mate. She-"

"Bonded mate? What the fuck, Eric?"

"Pamela." His tone is only slightly harsher, and she stands a little straighter.

"Eric can I ask Pam something?"

"Yes, and Pamela, you will answer any questions she has."

"Fine." She doesn't sound happy, and I quickly resolve to make this as painless as possible for her.

"What do you feel from Eric right now?"

She sighs, and looks at Eric as though focusing. After a moment, her eyes widen slightly and she glares daggers at me. "What have you done to my maker? I haven't felt him this calm and boring…ever."

"It's a side effect of our bonding, it makes him calm and vulnerable but just for a little while, a few days I think. I need you to help me get him somewhere safe for that time."

She seems to think for a moment, before pulling out her cell phone. "You two stay here, and I'll book a flight and room at a hotel in Texas."

"Texas?!"

"Yes. Eric's maker is there, and he's the only one that could keep a handle on him right now."

She leaves the room, closing the door loudly behind her, and as I stand in Eric's hold I listen in on the blond woman named Ginger.

_Pam is dialing into her phone, as Longshadow and Pam are at work righting overturned tables and gathering the pieces of broken tables into a pile. I wonder what happened after I popped in, but I don't have time to dwell on it as Pam starts. "Listen Isabel, I'm going to be putting Eric on a plane in about 30 minutes headed for there, and Godric needs to be there. This blond bitch appeared out of thin air above him, and then she shot him with this white light and now he's out of his mind! It's like he's in a calm coma! He's talking about being bonded to this witch, calling her his mate and she's getting whatever she asks for."_

_She stops to listen, and Ginger looks over to see Longshadow moving the broken table pieces outside through a side door. _

_Pam hangs up a moment later, and then dials another number. I leave Ginger's mind as she starts talking to an airline. _

I seethe for a moment, unhappy with being compared to a witch. Eric seems to sense my unhappiness, and turns me in his arms. I put my arms around him, trying to imagine myself with this vampire forever, and he cradles my face in his hands. I lay my head against his chest a second later, and close my eyes, happy to have found my other half. We stay there, simply holding each other and content.

Pam comes back in a moment later, and throws a bag toward us, which Eric uses vamp speed to catch before it can hit us. "Let's go, you have a plane to catch."

)()()()()()()()(

I'm speechless as I look up at the sleek black private jet. It wasn't as though I hadn't grown up with money, with Niall's pampering and constantly forcing money into Gran's bank account, but I didn't really expect to find that Eric owned a private jet like this one. It's twice the size of any private jet I've ever seen before, and I feel that my suspicions of him liking to show off is correct.

A stewardess greets me as I enter the cabin with Eric directly behind me, and smiles to me as I take in the space. It looks similar to a lounge, with wide cushioned seats going down each side. A table is at each end, and there is a mini fridge set under each table. At the other end is two doors, one marked as a lavatory, and the other is a simple wooden door. The carpet in the room is black with red geometric patterns, and all of the upholstery is a charcoal grey. The walls are a light grey, and the lighting is warm and feels natural. It just gushes money and high class, and I find myself unsure of what to do in such a setting.

We settle in on the end of one of the wide couches, with him pulling me into his lap, and keeping us steady as we take off. Once we level off in the sky, I end up getting a meal made by the stewardess, and Eric surprises me by showing me how to turn the couch cushions around to end up making a booth seat with a table that comes up out of the frame of the couch.

As I eat the meal, he comes up with playing a game of twenty questions, and uses each question to ask me about my likes and dislikes. There's a calm calculating feel to his mind, as though he is slowly and carefully thinking about everything I say. He feels me checking into his mindset and emotions, and does the same, wrapping me in his mental presence that feels like nothing I've ever experienced before. I finish the meal quickly, and he turns the booth back into a bench seat so that he can lay with his back to the wall, and myself lying mostly on top of him. He continues to quietly ask me questions, and I continue to answer even as I drift in and out of consciousness. At some point a blanket appears on top of us and I can't handle the warmth and comfort that I'm experiencing. I go fully to sleep, and when I wake, I sense that Eric is next to me anymore. I am lying on what seems to be a bed, and by feeling out groggily, I see through the eyes of the stewardess that Eric is out on the tarmac. He's standing next to a shiny black Cadillac Escalade, talking to a woman wearing a knee length red dress with a fancy belt and high heels. Her hair is done up as though she's going to a fancy party, and my vision is cut off as the stewardess turns away from the window she was looking through. I pull back to myself lazily, almost willing myself back to sleep as he feels me waking, and caresses the bond gently. Just as I'm drifting back off, I realize that there is another vampire looming over me, and I'm immediately fully awake. I jump up, blasting the unfamiliar vampire with a stunning amount of my smite, and pop to Eric's side. The woman standing there drops fang and hisses in surprise, and a second later the other vampire appears next to her with his fangs out as well.

The bond fills with agitation and a sense to protect, and suddenly Eric is standing with me behind him, growling at the two others. He feels conflicted hissing at the woman, but doesn't seem to mind threatening the man. I peer around Eric, and see that he is dressed like a modern gothic cowboy too heavily influenced by cheesy cowboy movies. Delving deeper into the feelings Eric has towards the woman, I feel that he sees her as an ally, and I know that he's only acting like that because he's being protective.

I step out from Eric's side, and smile warmly at the woman, who quickly puts her fangs away. "I'm Sookie." She glances me over thoroughly, and takes several deep breaths before giving me an uneasy smile.

"I am Isabel, and this is Stan." She says, and quickly elbows him, prompting him to put his fangs away. He does so, and Eric immediately calms down, taking me into his side with a sigh. I watch them examine his change in temperament, and we are quickly gestured into the vehicle. Eric holds me on the ride, and we are pulling up to a tall hotel in the downtown of Dallas, Texas less than forty minutes later. When we get inside, Isabel and Stan stay nearby watching the other's in the lobby as Eric checks us into a suite under his name. When we get there, it looks as though we're only in a living room and there are several doors leading from the room, including glass French doors out onto a balcony.

As soon as the door closes, Isabel has her cell phone out and seems to send a text. A second later the phone vibrates, and she looks up at Eric. "Godric is not able to come see you until tomorrow night. He wants you to stay here, and don't go anywhere. If you need anything you are to call his day man. I will give you the number." She goes to a nearby table with a TV on it and produces a notepad, then rips a page off and leaves it on the stand.

She gives me another glance and a smile as Stan continues to glare at everyone, and they leave quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

**At this point I'm not sure where I'm going with this story, so it's sort of going to be my plaything which I'll use to muster up some creativity for my other stories. Please excuse any mistakes!**

We don't leave the hotel room, browsing television shows and getting to know each other. Our discussion jumps from topic to topic as he guides the conversation, and we end up watching movie after movie from the TV's digital library provided by the hotel until at some point I fall asleep, and Eric arranges us in bed. When I wake the next day, I feel that it's nearly three in the afternoon and I find myself lying partially across the chest of a dead Viking. His arms are around me in a steel grip, and it takes several moments before I can disengage myself from his hold. The shower is a welcome respite as I let the water melt away my apprehensions and uncertainties.

When I emerge I quickly find Eric's cell phone, and dial Niall's office number. He doesn't answer, and I relax back on the bed next to my vampire, studying him as I leave a nearly half an hour long message filling him in on everything that's happened and giving him my thoughts. I know that as soon as he hears it all he will be calling, or at least sending someone to check on me. I leave a message at the farmhouse, and one for Sam as well, all the while pondering what everyone I know in Faerie is up to since I've not returned. I smile as I can't help but wonder how Peterson will react when he learns that I am most profoundly unavailable.

Later that night, we are seated in the hotel restaurant as we wait for Godric to appear, and Eric is watching me intently as I slowly start to eat my dinner. The waiter makes his rounds, staring at me for a second too long as he's filling my glass of water and quickly scurries away at Eric's glare. A salad is left for me to start my meal with, and I regret ordering a full sized salad when I'm almost full as a result.

I notice that Isabel and Stan are nowhere to be seen, and I wonder if they will be coming with Godric. Just then I notice that a large radius of tables around us is empty, and I am grateful, given the conversation that could ensue. The feeling of Godric coming closer seeps through our bond as we make small talk several minutes later, and Eric's excitement bubbles up even as he doesn't show it outwardly. We're talking when he leans in quickly for a chaste kiss, and then pulls back to look past me. Turning my head, I see Stan enter first, followed by Isabel as both of them are scanning the entire room. They part, and a boy who can't be any older than sixteen walks in between them. His eyes meet Eric's as they immerse in each other's emotions, and I close my end of the bond as it feels like I'm intruding on something personal. As I study his face, something comes together in my mind and I realize that this is the famed two thousand year old Gaul. Through my muted reception it looks like Godric is examining the mind of his child, and I hope that he doesn't find anything to make him unhappy. Isabel and Stan sit at the tables in the two corners of the room unoccupied by the bar or us, and start watching over the area. As he sits down across from us in our corner booth, I steel my shoulders and smile at him before Eric can say or do anything. "I am Sookie."

"I am Godric." He says with the same inflection, and I open the bond fractionally to feel secondhand that he is amused. I'm not sure what Eric expected, but he is happy with our exchange.

We fall into silence as we examine each other hesitantly through the bond with Eric, and he seems curious about the bond itself. I suppose that since I am the one who initiated and created it, that it would feel slightly different than the standard vampire's mate bond. Finally I open my end back up, and he appreciates that I am not afraid to let him look. Even still, I am not prepared for when he suddenly takes a hold of my bond with Eric, and wrenches it closer to himself as though to try and take control of it. My light reacts, scorching him mentally, and he looks stunned as he's forced to release the connection. Eric growls at him, causing him further surprise as I feel that his loyalty toward Godric is forever unwavering. "I'm sorry, I can't help that." He nods, accepting it, and gives the bond a gentle brush. It takes me a moment to realize that this is his blessing, and I don't even have a second after that before Eric's mouth is claiming me. Taking his hands into mine, I give his palms a gentle rub before pulling away and returning my attention to Godric. I can't help but wonder if Eric hadn't previously hoped to achieve Godric's blessing with our visit.

"How did you find him?" I retell how I came to find Eric, and he seems fascinated by the description of how I use my telepathy.

We go quiet as the main course of my meal arrives, and Godric refuses when asked if he would like to order something. The lasagna is piping hot straight from the oven, and despite the restaurants claim of all 'Fresh Ingredients', I can still taste a hint of artificiality to the whole dish. I eat small bites at a time, and I feel that Eric gets a sense of satisfaction in watching me eat, so I continue even though I am almost full just from the salad. I can tell from his emotions that even though he's not in his right mind, he is still worried over what I need as a living being to survive, and I make a note of the fact that he is so attentive.

He and Godric slip into what I recognize as modern Swedish, and I find myself amused that Eric hadn't, in all of our recent games of twenty questions, asked if I spoke any other languages. I follow along silently as they have a meaningful conversation, with Eric telling Godric how much I mean to him and causing my heart to flutter with some of his words. I block those emotions to keep from letting the cat out of the bag. Eric then starts telling him everything that he knows about me. They keep on this subject for several minutes, and just as I've gotten to the point of being unable to swallow another bite, Godric asks Eric the question that I knew was coming at some point.

"What will you do when she grows old? Will you change her?" There's an inflection of concern, and I'm happy to see that it's not just Eric he is worried for, it's also me.

I decide then that they should know, and pipe up in equally fluent Swedish. "That will not be a problem for a very long, long time. I am fae." They are both surprised at my use of the language, and I feel pride begin to ooze from Eric as well as arousal as apparently my use of Swedish is a turn on. Godric on the other hand looks more than unsure, but even as I watch I can practically see the stones falling in place as he puts it all together.

"The light that you used on him when you first met?" He asks in a low calculating voice, and I smile.

"I am sky fae, and that was my bonding light. He is my soulmate, and even if I had _intended_ to hurt him, it wouldn't be possible. The calm he is experiencing is a temporary side effect of the bonding. It helps with the transition, and should wear off by tomorrow or the next night."

"How do you know he's your mate?"

"The light of his soul matches my own, and were he not my mate, my light would have killed him rather than being absorbed. We can tell when we've found our other half, no matter what. Our spark tells us the moment we find them." He nods, seeming to understand, and he looks at Eric.

"When will you hold an announcement ceremony, and the pledging?"

Eric thinks this through for several minutes, and I can almost feel a plan coming together in his head. "By the time we return to Shreveport, the repairs on Fangtasia should be done, and we will close for a night to hold a private party."

"Repairs?" I ask, not having noticed anything wrong through Ginger's mind other than the broken furniture.

"When you came to me, you were injured. Your blood sent the vampires of the club into a frenzy, and I had to secure you in my office while Pam and Longshadow brought the bar under control. I told Pam to get rid of all of the old stuff, and just to order all new tables, chairs and booths. Those things should be taken care of by the end of tonight." Godric doesn't appear to change, but through our shared bond with Eric, I can tell he is puzzled. I have an urge to get him alone, and quickly grab Eric's attention. "Would you mind getting your cell phone from our room? I left some messages for people earlier, and I'm wondering if they returned my call." It's not really a lie, so without so much as a single word, he gives me a chaste kiss then leaves me with Godric to go to the elevators. Godric watches him go, his eyebrows slightly raised.

"I can see why Pamela suspected you were a witch." Godric comments, and I feel a souring in my mood at hearing that word directed at myself again. He seems to sense my agitation, and examines my face for a moment.

"What has you so curious?" I ask, and he doesn't miss a beat.

"I raised my child to the mantra that emotion is weakness, and that vampires are above the humans and other races. He is usually quite domineering, demanding, and especially high handed. With time, I found that teaching him this was wrong, but by that time he was already on his own, and I could not change him now if I tried. I am curious if once this calm wears off, whether or not you will regret binding yourself to one such as him? He will not let you go now or ever. Even without being here long, I can feel how much he endeavors to keep you as his."

I give him my brightest smile, and truly mean it. "I would not want for him to let me go, and do not worry, our bond would not allow him to hurt me."

He stiffens slightly, "Does it control him?"

My laugh breaks his control, and he can't seem to help but smile slightly at the sound. "No. It is an absolute bond, unbreakable, and while we can block most emotions we however can never block pain or similar feelings. For him to hurt me, he would be hurting himself. But do not worry. Fae bonding magic is such that it has never chosen wrong. No bonded fae has ever had their relationship self-destruct in the way that a normal partnership could. You wonder if I will regret, but please do not think to take this bond so lightly. A vampire can bond with their chosen partner at any time they choose, however my kind do not have such a luxury. Many fae can only dream of finding their mate, as our light can only be accepted by a single person. That person is our other half, and there will come a time when we are so entwined in each other's feelings and lives that the thought alone of harm coming to the other is simply appalling." He pulls in an unnecessary breath as I stop mid statement, held by the thought of revealing the next piece of information. From what I've heard, Godric is someone I should never cross in the regards to his children, and I feel that if anyone will help me keep something so dangerous a secret it will be him. "There is something that I do not yet want to tell Eric." I say it, and immediately he frowns. "It's nothing bad, just, in the wrong hands the knowledge could cause trouble. You see if I had bonded to a water fae, I could never drown. Those sort of effects are very common amongst the few bonded couples there are out there and I can't help but wonder, if given enough time, Eric will become immune to the sun."

He blinks several times, and sighs as he leans back into his chair. "That indeed could be dangerous to both of you. Especially to other sky fae, should vampires discover this and think they can force a bond. You will be sure to tell me if this comes to fruition?"

"Yes, but do not worry about a bond being forced upon any of us. It is not possible. To try and force a blood bond upon a fae would cause the fae's blood to turn to poison within the vampire consuming it."

He cocks an eyebrow, and smiles, "Should you be telling me any of this?"

"No, but I do not believe you would harm your child, and subsequently me. Your age means usually one of two things for any vampire, either wisdom or insanity, and I believe I see which side you ended up on. I think his sense to trust you is rubbing off on me."

We both feel that Eric has returned to the ground floor in the elevator, and Godric switches to telling me about how a pledging ceremony plays out. When he hands me the cell phone I see a missed call from Sam, as well as a missed call from Niall with a voicemail, and put the phone to my ear to listen. "Sookie, I'm sorry but Peterson was in the room when I started listening to your message. He knows you are bonded, but I cut it off as soon as you said that, so he didn't hear anything else. I fear that he may decide to come see for himself, so please be careful if he finds you. Also, congratulations are in order! I assume you will have some sort of vampire or human ceremony, so please let me know when it is and I will attend. Let me know if there is anything you want, and you need to find yourself a house. You know the tradition. Just draw up the papers and give me a price. Have fun with your vampire!" I can tell he is excited, and relief floods me since he doesn't seem to dislike Eric as my bonded.

"Who was that speaking?" Godric asks, beating Eric as I can see that he wants to ask something. He's feeling jealous and I can just imagine what he wants to know.

"That was my grandfather, Niall." I say it as though it's common knowledge, and only a second later do I realize that Niall hadn't been noticed in the human realm for several thousand years. "He is the ruler of the sky fae, and his only child was my mother."

Eric's face splits in a grin, "So, I have myself a princess?"

I swat his shoulder playfully, "Technically yes, and for a long time I've helped Niall from the sidelines. But now I'm not sure if I ever want to take over. Our people trust me completely though, so it wouldn't be too hard to get them to accept you." I notice that Godric is quiet, and sense that he is deep in thought.

"Who is Peterson?" Eric asks, and that hint of jealousy is undeniable.

"He is the eldest unwed son of the earth fae, and his father had, at his insistence, been asking Niall for my hand. Actually he's asked several times, but Niall keeps turning him down. Oh well, it's too bad for him because it's against our laws to interfere in a bonded pair, especially_ this_ pair." I say with a smile, and I stroke his ego through the bond as I give him a peck on the lips.

In the corner of my eye, I see something in all white enter the restaurant, which stands out against the dark earthy tones making up the decor. It's a man in a white suit, and he doesn't hesitate to approach Isabel. I dip into his mind, and quickly discern that he is her human, and they are in a relationship together. It all seems flowers and blood candies until I delve deeper into his thoughts, and neither Eric nor Godric say anything as they feel me leave myself. I throw myself into this human, Hugo's, memories.

_He walks down into the basement, and when the man, Steve Newlin, opens the doors he sees a cage of shining silver bars in the center of the room. It sits on a plate of silver, with a ceiling to match. "We're going to use this to keep that beast contained!" He announces it as though he's a sports commentator, and the look on his face is utterly joyful. "You get his second and third in command away from him, and while he's walking we'll nab him with the silver nets."_

"_Be careful. His child showed up in the area last night out of nowhere, and now he's the second oldest thing in this state." Hugo tells him, and thinks of how bad it will be if Eric is near when his maker is taken. It could end very badly for the attempted kidnappers. _

"_That's even better! If I'm not mistaken, makers are very protective of their children, so he can watch as we chain and torture his evil little spawn." In his madness he seems almost giddy, and Hugo isn't sure whether or not he should follow this crazy man anymore, but he's already made up his mind. He had to get his revenge for her lies and betrayal. _

Eric isn't pleased to feel me angry, and I place my hand on his arm as I concentrate on what I do next. "Please, both of you, stay very still." They both freeze in place, and I go to work quickly invading the minds of the humans in the restaurant one at a time before I have each one of them under my control all at once. I make sure that I avoid the only people I want to stay. The single command I push into them all is straightforward, GET OUT, and it works just as it should. The vampires all watch with fascination and confusion as every human, even the bartender, begins to rise and leave the restaurant. As they file out, Stan rises and Godric and Eric are on my heels with Stan flanking us as I start to cross the room. As soon as the last human walks out, I call to the wind, and with a wave of my hand a gust of air slams the restaurant doors closed. A blast of light from my hand seals the doors shut.

A very distinct, "What the fuck?" comes from Stan and his reaction amuses me.

Hugo jumps at the sound of the slamming doors, and looks much more nervous than he would like. I keep his mind wide open for my viewing pleasure.

"It's too bad Hugo, you had everything, did you know that?" I say, and he looks at me with confusion and then malice, assuming that I am Eric's current 'plaything'. "Isabel loves you, and yet you don't even have enough compassion to try and understand why she is not ready to turn you. Forever is a long time after all."

His mouth falls open, and Isabel is looking at him with surprise. "How did you do that with the people and the doors? How do you know that?" His thoughts are running away from him only to crash and burn as he tries to comprehend what I'm doing.

"I know everything. I've seen _everything _you've said and done during the day." He doesn't believe me, and I smile wickedly. " 'You get his second and third in command away from him, and while he's walking we'll nab him with the silver nets', isn't that right? Isn't that what Steve Newlin said as he showed you the silver cage he was to keep Godric in?" Four sets of fangs click into place around me, and I see hurt, anger and betrayal swimming in Isabel's eyes.

"That was just this morning, while Isabel rested in the bed you share, and you had snuck out to go to the church. He showed you that cage, and you even had the gall to warn him about Eric. 'If I'm not mistaken, makers are very protective of their children, so he can watch as we chain and torture his evil little spawn.' That's what Steve said to your warning. But you shouldn't have been warning him about Eric." I stalk closer as I speak, and finally I am right in his face. I see a bloody tear traveling down Isabel's face, and feel bad that she has had the misfortune of being with this man. I motion for Isabel to move away, and she goes to stand by Godric without question, seeming to sense that something is about to happen.

"You should have warned Steve about Eric's new mate. Perhaps he would have laughed, but I will certainly give him something to laugh about before this night is through." My anger bubbles over as I continue to examine his memories and find a previous visit where he was shown a room with a silver table and chains, and a multitude of weapons nearby. This plan had been in motion for a long time, and Hugo wanted to be the one to start the torture on Godric. He felt that it was Godric's fault that Isabel wouldn't turn him, and decided long ago that he must have told her not to do it. I then find a new memory, one of the oldest he has of the church, and it's something that Steve Newlin didn't even realize Hugo was aware of. Something he had caught a glimpse of, and never said anything because he knew what would happen if he did. He had done his best to forget that memory, but that was easier said than done. A new form of fury burns through me, boiling hatred for what those so called 'holy people' are doing, and right then I decide that there will be no more. A plan opens in my mind before I even realize I've created it, and I know what I'm going to do.

My hand glows bright white, and as I reach and grab Hugo's arm, he goes rigid with paralysis. Examining the church from his memories, I pick where I want to end up. Turning towards the bar, I wave my free hand and the TV jumps to life, going straight to another channel. This channel is in the beginning of its one hour live local news show, and I turn to the others as I continue to hold Hugo still. "Godric, you need to call and arrange for the hotel to have lots of donors in this room as soon as possible, and lots of vampire supervision. Tell the hotel to clear the bottom floor of all humans. All vampires nearby need to get here to help, you'll understand why soon, trust me on this." He nods and out comes his cell phone as he starts dialing numbers. He can feel through Eric that I am furious and determined. I reach for Eric, and he comes closer and takes my outstretched hand, coming willingly as I pull him closer. "Now I'll show you what we can really do." I whisper in his ear, and the second I let him go I blast the restaurant doors open, and myself and Hugo are teleported straight into the parking lot of the Fellowship of the Sun church. Eric's emotions explode, but I quickly soothe him in the bond and ask for him to be patient and ready.

Shooting Hugo with my light, he falls to the ground in an unconscious heap as I pull out Eric's cell phone which I still have. I look up the news studio that I left broadcasting in the restaurant at the hotel, and call the phone number for the news tips hotline. "If you want to get the most exclusive story you've ever had, then you'll get a crew to the Fellowship of the Sun right now. Newlin's evil is going to be shown. Trust me, you won't want to miss this." It takes me no time at all to find and identify the minds of the innocent, lied to people within the church, and within minutes they are in their cars driving away without even knowing what they're doing. Using the cell phone once more, I call a number I had hoped to never have to call, and it picks up on the second ring. "Sookie! What's happening?" Niall's voice comes through, and I can hear his panic at having his emergency phone ring.

"I need you at the Fellowship of the Sun church in Dallas, Texas right now. I need your help, and I think it's time for us to return to the world like you talked about." I hang the phone up, and light a beacon above where I am. I know that Niall had wanted to do this a different way, but decide that we may as well take care of several things at once.

He is standing next to me several seconds later, and I smile warmly at me. "I wondered when you would catch wind of this place."

"You know what they are doing here?"

"I caught wind of it from some from some of the gossip that Claude brought back. An intensely anti-vampire church sort of peaked my interest."

"Alright then. There's a human news crew on the way. Eric and Godric will be waiting with donors for the injured, just follow my teleport after we tell the reporters everything. Can you seal the entire church? I already got the innocent out. All that's left is the scum."

He nods, and immediately puts up a glowing barrier that forms to the building like a skin. It holds everything in place, not allowing the movement of any doors or windows, and allowing nothing to pass beyond it. "You have got to teach me that." I say as I watch it shimmer like water, before solidifying in place. Moving quickly, we identify the building sitting to the left of the church as the one we want, and stand in front of it as we wait.

We only have to pace for a few minutes before a news van shows up, and given the glowing barrier on the church, the cameras are immediately rolling. A reporter runs up to us as they see we are the only ones here. "What is this? Can you tell us what's happening?"

"I want you to put this immediately into the live news broadcast." I say it as well as force the command into her mind, and after a minute of her arguing with someone in her ear piece, she starts to give us a countdown to going live. Niall throws a wave of magic over me, and instead of what I had been wearing, I am now in a beautiful sparkling cream colored dress, and he is wearing his finest pin striped suit. His golden pocket watch chain gleams in the light as we set our shoulders, and both start flowing power into our words. Slipping into each other's minds, we alternate speaking the lines, and improvise together as we have to veer away from our previously prepared speech. "We are here tonight to introduce you to a new type of supernatural creature. We have long been in the shadows, hiding and rebuilding ourselves after a great war with the vampires nearly killed us all long ago. Today we return to the world. I am Niall, head of the royal sky fae, and king of all fae. I am Sookie, princess to the crown, and sole heir. We come before you today as we have uncovered a crime so heinous that it is unforgivable. What you see behind us is the church of the Fellowship of the Sun. We have sealed those inside who have committed the crimes you will be witness of. Steve Newlin, who preaches that he is a man of love, and that vampires are evil, should himself be the one called evil. He has trapped and tortured vampires for as long as he has been able, and we are here tonight to put an end to his tyranny. For several months now, he has been kidnapping innocent vampires from the streets of this city, and nothing he can say will excuse him from what you are about to see."

Niall moves to the side of the building we are standing before, and with a wave of his hand the entire wall is blown away. As the dust settles, the practical dungeon makes itself visible. Dozens of vampires are chained to the floors with silver, many of them injured and actively bleeding out. It's an effort to ignore the questions being fired off by the reporter with the microphone. We mask our scents, and as the camera crew broadcasts, we run in and I lay my hand on the shoulder of the first vampire I see. I teleport him straight into the waiting company of the hotel, and am pleased to see a crowd of vampires and humans dressed in robes crowded around the TV in the restaurant. More than one set of fangs drops as I appear from thin air with one of their injured comrades, and as Niall follows me in, we let go of the injured and start teleporting back and forth as fast as we can. As we move, more news vans start to appear, and soon the place is swarming with reporters and police as they try to take control of the situation. Helicopters are soon coming to view from above, and we smile at each other when police arrive and raid another side building to find weapons specialized for killing vampires.

Eric's emotions are the most helpful thing for me, as he remains in a calm determined mindset, and I find that he is now the one soothing my anger at the things I am seeing. As word spreads through the city, more vampires and donors appear on scene at the hotel, and news crews are soon watching through the windows as everything unfolds there as well. When I teleport the final vampire to the hotel, I quickly find Eric in the chaos, avoiding the vampires and people who try to talk with me as I walk by. "I need you for this last part." He nods, taking my hand, and we are teleported back to the church. Niall drops the barrier and police swarm the place, taking every person into custody. It doesn't take long for all of the criminals to be rounded up, and I leave Eric for a moment to make sure the church is cleared out and seal it. I then once again stand with Niall as the cameras and reporters crowd around us asking multitudes of questions. Niall takes the lead, and I smile beside him. "We are here with a purpose. No longer will people like Steve Newlin be allowed to rain terror on anyone. It does not matter what race you are of. As a people, we do not stand for needless violence, and we are not afraid to stand against those who wish to attack others for no reason. Let it be known that the fae have returned to this realm." With that Niall vanishes, and I know that he has taken himself to the hotel. I give Eric a look, and he takes me into his arms bridal style as he flies us up into the air. When we reach a good height, I hold my hands out, and he looks away from the blinding light I emanate from my palms. A ball of fire materializes and swirls in front of us, growing until finally I am satisfied, and blast it through the roof of the church.

Steve Newlin sits on the ground, handcuffed and watched along with his wife and several others. He howls as the building is consumed with flames. I smile at Eric, and my anger begins to dissipate as my fae blood sings with victory. "You can consider this you're wedding present from me." I say, and he chuckles, "I have no idea how I'm going to top this."

We have our moment together, floating through the sky, drifting higher as Eric takes us away from the smoke and fire. The satisfaction I feel at having destroyed that place shows on my face I'm sure, and I decide that I don't care if I look smug as we take ten minutes to simply be together, before I teleport us back into the lobby of the hotel. Godric finds us immediately, and hands me a note that he says is from Niall, and that he had to leave as he knew that I could handle it from there.

We work the rest of the night ensuring the health of the tortured vampires, and eventually we manage to get them all into their own private rooms all stocked with bagged blood. By the end of the night, I can barely keep my eyes open as Godric thanks me for the service I've done for his area, and I collapse into bed as soon as we get to our hotel room.


	3. Chapter 3

"Have it ready by the time we get back. Don't go overboard, I mean it." I can feel that he is speaking to Pam, and as soon as he feels me looking in on his emotions, he caresses our bond. Godric is somewhere in the background, and seemingly far away. "Alright, have Longshadow look into it." He hangs up, and his hands are there caressing my face as he leans in for a kiss, followed by rolling me over and starting to massage my back.

I can't help but moan as stiff muscles relax of their own accord, and he chuckles. "It would seem as though you pulled something." They unusual calm has left his mind, and he's calculating and content, examining every reaction I have to what he says and does. I feel there are things on his mind causing him stress, but he brushes them aside as he looms over me.

"I used too much energy, that's all." I tell him in a subdued voice, and he's pulling me back against him to sit in his lap.

"Take my blood, and exchange with me. It will make you feel better." He asks, and I think it over for a moment, before finally shrugging. I feel his surprise and can predict his question before he even says the words. "That easily? No objections?"

"What would I object to? The fact that you can track me?" My tone is teasing, since the bond is more than capable of allowing him to track me, and he knows it. He is delighted at how easily I acquiesce to him, and I turn my face to give him a meaningful look. "I am yours, completely, and I hope that you do not abuse that power. Nobody else has it."

"Never." He vows, all seriousness now, and gives me a quick kiss before his fangs drop and he opens his wrist. I shiver as the first drops of his blood hits my tongue, and I can feel him testing my feelings and reaction. He likes what he feels from me. His blood is thick, and tastes of earthy spices and a cold sweetness that is indescribable. The metallic undertones only enhance the taste, and it's the most divine thing I've ever had. It only takes the first pull for lust to surge through him and into me through the bond. The evidence of which is making itself known against my lower back, and I pull harder as a hunger I've never felt before causes me to bite into his wound, urging it to stay open. He grunts as my blunt teeth dig into his flesh, and his other arm comes around my waist to hold me closer. "Vicious, sexy little blood sucker." His voice rumbles with a growl in my ear, and he sounds amused at the same time. It only takes a second for his free hand to gently move my hair aside, and I turn my neck to give him better access. He runs his nose along the column of my throat, trailing kisses down from my ear as he finds the spot he wants. A predatory growl is all I get before his fangs are buried into my neck, and I gasp into his arm. I can't help grinding back against him, and his chest rumbles in appreciation as he pulls too slowly at my blood.

The aching in my back disappears soon after, and he feels my relief as I fully relax into him. He almost feels like gloating as I give myself over to him, to protect and keep. I reluctantly release his wrist as I start to feel a light headed high, and his arm clenches around my chest as he holds me in place. I can feel the basest of his vampire nature, urging him to drain me, and I know it's the effect of my fae blood. I'm overcome with pride as I can tell he's been holding himself back the entire time, worried that he may injure me. "You can take as much as you want. It takes almost no magic to heal the blood loss instantly." The truth of my whispered words rings through his mind, and I hold onto the arm braced over my chest as he pulls harder on my vein. I moan loudly at the pleasure we both experience as he truly feeds, and I lose sight of the world as I float in euphoria. I'm deftly aware of when he releases my neck and seals the punctures, before he covers me with his body as he curls us onto our sides together on the bed, spooning. He caresses my flesh with his hands and it only takes me a moment to come back to reality as he works us towards more passionate activities.

)()()()()()()()()()(

It's almost midnight, and he goes into the shower as I come out of it, knowing that if we go together it will take us a lot longer to finish. I grab his phone, and it only rings twice before Sam picks up at the bar.

"Merlotte's." He sounds bored, and I don't hear much in the background in the way of customers.

"Sam, it's me!"

"Hey, where have you been? Not in trouble are you?"

"No, but I wanted to call and let you know that I'm not sure when I'll be coming back to work. I've bonded with someone!" The excitement must inflect in my voice, and he is silent for a long moment.

"That's great, I'm glad for you. Where are you?"

"Well, I guess you could say I'm on my honeymoon, in Texas." I wonder what his face looks like in the moment. When we'd first met, he'd had high hopes that I would choose to be with him, but I was never inclined to be very close to the shifter. He'd looked after Gran when she'd gotten in her later years and I was unavailable, so I saw him more like an Uncle than a suitor. I appreciated all that he'd done for me, and I knew he would not take the news of Eric very well. He was very dog like in his sense of loyalty toward me, which was paired with a strange sense to protect. "Anyhow, I don't want to tie you up on the phone, so I'll let you go."

"Don't worry, you can call me anytime. Let me know when you want to be scheduled in again."

"Ok, I will." I say, and end the call, pondering how I'm going to let him down once I get home.

My next call goes unanswered, and I wonder what could possibly be going on at my house where nobody is near the phone. Something about it doesn't set right with me, but I don't have time to ponder as Eric emerges from the shower and the look of him wet with just a towel around his waist sends electricity through us both. In a flash his phone is gone from my hand, and he's kissing me as he backs me toward the bed.

When we reach the main lobby, it is bustling with humans and vampires all moving about. Several of the vampires lounging around in the chairs are ones I recognize from the church and they all give me respectful nods and bows as we walk past them. "I spoke with Godric before you woke, and he will be meeting us here with the King of Texas soon enough. Apparently he would like to personally think you for your services to his kingdom." Irritation is evident, and I don't need the bond to see he's not fond of this sudden surprise, although his emotions towards the King in question are not bad.

I can't help but smile as a protective instinct itches in his mind, and unlike when he was more sedated, his eyes are constantly flitting around the room. He seems to be judging each person that walks in, or comes anywhere near us, preparing as though we are being ambushed. "No need to worry about any of the humans, none of them here are meaning any harm. Most don't even recognize who we are."

He is caught off guard by my statement, before grinning, "Your telepathy is useful, and quite impressive. Do all fae have that?"

"No, mostly just my family line, and I've spent more time than most perfecting my ability." I go on, describing my shields and how I feel through someone's mind, and he soaks it all up like a sponge. I've finished my meal, and we're talking back and forth when Godric and the King walk in. The man following him has a slender tall frame, not as tall as Eric, but close. He appears to be German, with strong dark features and pitch black hair. His eyes are an odd grey color, and he looks me up and down as they approach, much to Eric's displeasure. He's wearing a perfectly tailored charcoal suit with a red satin tie, and his shoes make no noise as he crosses the floor.

"Greetings, Miss Stackhouse." He says, taking my hand when we rise to greet them, and kissing the back of it smoothly. I pull it back as soon as his grip loosens, and they sit across from us as I notice several vampires all dressed in suits coming in slowly and taking positions all around us.

"I am Felipe De Castro, and I would like to thank you, on behalf of all of the vampires in Texas for what you've done in removing Steve Newlin from our way. He's been nothing but a thorn in our side since he first opened that church."

"Well let me assure you, I have no problem removing those sorts of thorns. He needed to be put away a long time ago." I watch as his lips quirk up in an unwilling smile, and he seems charmed by my statement.

"No, I don't think you really understand the effect his removal will have. We've been trying for months to win the public over on vampire's rights, and I believe that now that he's out of the picture, we will have no problem swaying favor in our direction. The long term effects of this are unfathomable. If there is anything you need, please make it known."

I ponder for a moment, before something occurs to me, and I smile at him while Eric wonders at my suddenly piqued interest. "I do have something I could ask of you."

"Ask away." He says, and stares me down as I put my plans together in my head.

"I would like to form a partnership with you on behalf of my fae kin."

"What sort of partnership?"

"My kind want to return to this world, but we need a safe place to stay when we come here. The only such place we currently have is my home in Louisiana, and as more of us come through the portal, I'm having a hard time placing them all in beds. Basically I need a safe house, protected by the harshest penalties to those who break the rules, where those I know can feel safe to travel and stay at if they want. I want to get our base out of Louisiana, and move it here, to eventually build a self-managed network of supes-neutral houses where others could meet and negotiate. If you are willing to do this, and with the backing of the vampires, we could reconnect with this world and I believe we would both benefit." I come to the conclusion that I will also want a place in Maine, as well as Washington, and I wonder if Eric has any ties to those states.

"What sort of benefit?" He asks, and his demeanor is all business. There's a faraway look to his eyes as though he's deep in thought.

"Do you like gems? Our realm is plentiful with them, and some of us can use our magic to extract them from the earth and then craft them. But with the market restricted to our realm, it is hard to make a living that way. Many of my kind have, in the past, petitioned my grandfather to move to the human realm to make their way in a new world. We've always denied these requests in the past, as we have never felt it safe enough for an extended stay. Should you agree to my terms of protection and civility, as well as property, my people would gladly make the most beautiful jewelry you've ever seen available to sell." An idea occurs to me, and I can't help but let him have what I'm sure will be a winner. "In fact, if you were to provide a building with a storefront for us to work, we could sell it with assurance of safety for my people. With quality never before seen in this realm, and with a little word of mouth, we could sell exclusively to vampires, and you could be privy to a third of the profits from our stores."

Eric is looking at me intrigued, and I'm wondering what it is that has him curious. "Why not Louisiana?"

"Sophie Ann is unstable and feels entitled to more than she is. I'm not even sure how she became queen with her childish tactics." They all smile, and Eric laughs.

"You speak as though you know her."

"I do. She held me prisoner once upon a time." Suddenly the temperament of every vampire present changed, and a new edge entered the air. "I was only there for a couple of hours before Niall appeared and we disappeared together, but it was all the time I needed to figure out her inner workings. She has no business sense at all, and thinks that money will just come to her like magic. Her child Andre does all of the official work for her, and she just signs the documents."

Eric seemed to file that information away for later, but stayed focused on me for the moment. "Did she hurt you?"

"No. One of her followers came across me while he was cutting through the woods and happened upon my Gran's house, where I was playing in the garden. He took me without so much as a word, and when I found myself in the queens house I played nice like Niall taught me to, then he popped in and grabbed me after a couple of hours. She had planned to raise me under her roof as the prized piece of her collection." The disgust on Godric's face is evident even as Eric's face remains stoic, but I can sense similar feelings within him.

"I'll have my assistant draw up a contact." Felipe says unexpectedly a moment later, and I nod.

"When you're ready, send it here. I'll let everyone know what's going on, and you and grandpa Niall can figure it all out from here." I grab a napkin and a pen from my purse, and write down the address for Desmond, our lawyer in the human world.

He nods, putting it into a pocket on the inside of his jacket. A cell phone rings behind us in the room and the king's eyes jump. A moment later someone comes up to stand behind him, and looks pointedly at the three vampires surrounding me. His voice is flat as he conveys a message. "The Authority has issued a protection order to all of the fae in the human realm, to be carried out and followed by all of the kings, queens and sheriffs." His voice betrays nothing as he looks me in the eye, unwavering, "They specifically mentioned that they would like to get into contact with you, and we are to report your location immediately should you be found." He looks back to the king. "Shall we do so?"

Felipe's eyes snap to me, and then Eric, before settling on the table in front of him as he sinks into thought. Eric took ahold of my hand underneath the table for a moment, giving it a reassuring squeeze, before releasing me and speaking up. "We would be welcome to a representative coming to the announcement ceremony we are holding soon. A date has yet to be decided, but they will be notified promptly of the details once it is." Felipe nods, confirming what we've said, and the man puts a phone to his ear as he walks away. Eric's mind feels as though it's going a mile a minute, and he is on edge despite being very controlled. Godric has remained oddly silent, and pushing through Eric, I give the bond to him a slight poke. He meets my eyes, and there is something strange there. I've never seen this emotion before, and I don't know what to think of it.

He gains Felipe's attention with a flick of his finger. "I will be filing my resignation from the position of sheriff by tomorrow night, and I will also be filing my notice of departure from Texas. I have a new… _vested interest_ in the state of Louisiana." I know he feels my shock, and a smug smile crosses his face for a split second even as Felipe smiles his own devilish grin. Eric is very pleased to hear this, and is about to vocalize it when I notice a group of people walking into the restaurant. Six vampires are all together, five of which are men in identical black suits. The last one is a woman that I recognize from TV, Nan Flanagan, and I lean into Eric's side in distaste as I realize that they are coming straight towards us.

They others at my table have noticed my gaze, and all of them turn to look at her as well. She plasters a fake courtesy smile on her face, and her men stand around the table on all sides as she comes up to stand in the spot between Felipe and Godric.

"Good evening, Nan. To what do we owe this pleasure?" Felipe says the words with a pleasantness that I almost believe, and she glances at him before looking straight at me.

"Given recent events, we would like you to come with us, for your own protection of course." She says it in such a way that it is obviously just for the show to the humans around us, but the vampires all know better.

"My bonded will not be leaving my sight, nor that of my maker, should I be unavailable. She is mine. No one else's." Eric is calm and authoritative with his tone, but I can feel that he is ready to tear her apart at a moment's notice.

"This girl is the only known fae on the entire fucking planet, and you expect us to leave her to the Norseman and Death as a plaything? You've got to be kidding me." She takes a breath of air, and starts to stare daggers at me as I seemingly obliviously avert my gaze to anything but her, which I know will only annoy her. "While it is true that you have bonded to her, it is not officially documented, and your claim has not been approved. She will be coming with us, or do we have to put you down first?"

Felipe jumps in, just as Eric prepares to rise from his seat. He's raising his voice slightly, and even though I don't look around, I can feel that the eyes of every vampire are set to our table. "Nan, I assure you there will be no trouble from Eric or Godric should you reconsider your decision. However should you think that it is indeed necessary for Sookie to go with you, then I can guarantee that they will fight. But first, I think you should really consider where you are. Before Eric or Godric move from their positions, I believe that in order for you to seize our dear fae, you will first have to go through… oh I don't know… _every single vampire_ in this entire building? Perhaps even this whole area, I'm not really sure, but I know that they are all very enamored with her at the moment. Probably due to the, how did you put it… recent events?" He pauses for a second to look around, and I'm surprised to see every vampire in the room rise from their seat. "Also when I say every vampire, I include myself." He tacks the last bit on, and with those words his own personal guards step forward to further surround us.

She does her best to hold her composure, but it's easy to see the outrage in her features. Her face hardens into almost a mask as she doesn't speak for several moments, before finally looking at Eric. "You file every single document that is required, and we are to know her location at all times. Do I make myself clear?" It's obvious she is trying to look stern, but really, there is nothing she can do. He simply nods, and things settle down as her and her men make a hasty retreat. The atmosphere of the restaurant returns to an artificial calm, and Godric gives Eric what must be a secret look.

"With everything that's happening, I think that we will retire to our room for the evening." Godric says, and Eric instantly nods, agreeing with him.

"Felipe, be sure to send the contract and any other documents to the address I gave you. I hope to see you again." I say as we're standing to leave, and he does the same. When I hold my hand out for him to shake, he actually returns the gesture, and given the looks from Eric and Godric I'm guessing that he would never do such a thing regularly.

We return to our room without incident, and Eric and Godric set down at the table with Eric's laptop as I excuse myself, grabbing our room key and the ice bucket as I go out into the hallway. The ice machine is just two doors down from us, and my bucket is almost full when I hear the ding from the elevator further down the hall. I idly check the mind that is inside, and stop dead in my tracks as I recognize the vampire stepping into the hallway.

He's at least a foot shorter than Eric, with dark hair and piercing eyes, and I know instantly that this is the one who hurt me right before I met Eric. He turns, seeing me, and his lips twist in a sick smile. "There you are." He muses, as though we'd been playing a friendly game of hide and seek.

Every instinctual warning bell in my head starts to blast the words, _get away_, into my head, and I feel it when Eric takes a sudden grip on the bond. He moves closer, and just as he's within reaching distance I blast him away with my light. Eric is there a second later, picking him up and pushing him against the wall by his throat as Godric stands protectively next to me, surveying back and forth down either end of the hallway.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Compton?"

"I want her. She will be mine." His voice is strained as he tries to turn his head to look at me.

"He's the one who almost killed me before I came to you." The Swedish comes out quickly as I speak, and the air in the hallway quickly goes from tense to practically carrying a physical weight as Eric turns the words over in his head.

"She is claimed." He says, and I feel it in the bond as a hatred for this Mr. Compton which already exists explodes and doubles several times over. Eric's grip tightens around his throat, and he starts pushing against the hand at his neck in a vein attempt to get him off. All rational thought seems to leave him as the bond burns red with his fury, and I have to forcibly block it so that I can keep myself in check as his emotions start to affect me. Godric follows close behind as I walk up to stand behind Eric, and I place my hands against his back, eliciting a defensive growl from him but only for a moment before he realizes who it is. "Eric, sweetie, I need you to at least calm down a little bit for me. It's really takes a toll on me to feel this, and it's difficult to control myself with all of this negativity in the bond." Slowly, I wrap my arms around him from behind, and I'm sure it's a strange sight as he's still got a single hand up, holding the other vampire in place. Finally after several seconds I feel the tension in the bond lessening, and when I open it slightly, I can feel that he's controlled again and he sends me an apology without words. I return forgiveness to him, and affection, and his free hand takes mine from where it rests on his chest, pulling me around and into his side.

"What should we do with him?" He asks Godric suddenly, and I smile mischievously as something occurs to me.

"Godric, can I see your phone?" After a moment of hesitation, he hands it over, and sure enough I find the right number in his contacts.

"Godric? Rethinking your relocation already?" His voice is full of mirth and I still hear the sounds of the restaurant.

"Actually, Felipe, this is Sookie. I was in the hallway outside our room getting ice, when a vampire attempted to grab me. He also just so happens to be the same vampire that very nearly killed me the night I met Eric. I know you're very busy, but I'm really wanting to get ready to go home, so would you be willing to send someone up to deal with him?" Eric and Godric both wear a priceless expression, and I can't help but return a wicked smile to my mate.

"Oh yes, that would be no problem, especially given that recent announcement by the Authority. I will have someone there very soon to take care of this troublemaker, and please do call me again if you need anything else."

"Thank you, have a nice night." I say in the sweetest tone I can manage, and hand Godric his phone as I end the call.

Neither of them say anything, probably because of the presence of the struggling vampire still being held against the wall, and we wait only a couple of minutes before the elevator dings open and several of Felipe's personal guards step out to look at us.

Eric's grip tightens for a second longer, and I hear a snap as Eric partially breaks the struggling vampire's neck. "Oops." He says, looking at the guards. "He got hurt from the struggle."

They all share a look of agreement, and Eric lets him go so that he slumps to the floor. "It's the idiots own fault, he shouldn't have been moving around so much." One of the men says with a sly smile, and they gather him up before returning to the elevator. We return to the room with my full ice bucket as he fills me in on who Bill Compton is. They go back to the table to figure out the rest of the travel details as I make a drink, and get pulled into Eric's lap when I move to stand behind them.


End file.
